The Nun II - 7/10

Directed by Michael Chaves - Writers: Akela Cooper, Ian Goldberg, and Richard Naing

We continue the story with Sister Irene who is staying at a convent in Italy. The film takes place 5 years after she had initially faced Valak in the first nun film. Sister Irene sees Frenchie (Maurice) in a dream that fills her with concern. The following day, the Vatican approaches her at this convent and informs her about strange occurrences that have been occurring in monasteries where Nuns and Priests are dying in mysterious ways. After noting the similarities with the case that Sister Irene dealt with in the previous film, the Vatican require her to travel to France to investigate the death of a priest who was killed by Immolation. Although reluctant at first, Sister Irene eventually agrees. She is joined by a young Nun who does not wish for her to travel alone.

Frenchie is working as a caretaker at an all-girls boarding school in France and is close with one of the teachers there as well as with a student. The student is a young girl who is smaller than the rest and is bullied, another vulnerable child similar to Annabelle: Creation. After some time this child starts to notice strange things happening in the school. She starts seeing a nun and hears voices. She also starts to notice Frenchie acting strange.

Sister Irene's clairvoyant abilities are much more prominent in the film as she has many visions throughout and is not scared or confused by them as is seen in the first film. We also get exposure of her past and her mother. This exposure confirms that she is clairvoyant for those that had not figured it out from the first film as it is explained that her mother also had visions. In this exposition explaining Irene's character we are exposed to a single scene depicting Lorraine Warren, who is the main inspiration for the conjuring series as well as the source of each of the true stories explained in all the films, showing a connection between the two.

There are many interesting scenes throughout the film with much more effective build-up than in the previous film which shows that the director was going for a much more terrifying approach as opposed to the shock factor that the first film was working toward. There is great use of imagery throughout with a good amount of information provided from alternative camera angles. The characters in the film are well portrayed and believable. Especially when it comes to the younger nun that acts as Irene's supporting character (Debra), because she brings an aspect of a average person trapped in the scenario which helps the viewer relate.

An unenjoyable part of the film is that Valak has many opportunities to kill Sister Irene, similar to how she had killed the nuns and priests in the monasteries preceding the film, but never even attempts to kill her until the end. Sister Irene learns that the spirit is connected to Frenchie as he was at all the locations where the murders took place when they took place. This means that Valak would have to be exorcised from Frenchie but instead they decide to focus on defeating Valak which gives rise to the film ending on yet another cliffhanger. Its as if the whole film occurs and little to nothing changes in the grand scheme of things.